[but set an example for the believers] … in speech…
Summary: Paul provides a list of ways believers should be an example to others. The first item on his list is “speech.”
In our meditation on 1 Timothy 4:11, we took a close look at the context of Paul’s words, “Command and teach these things.” Authority in the Body of Christ is not universal. We each have authority over our own bodies, but when it comes to the Body of Christ, we submit to a higher authority — that of Jesus Christ.
The problem with that plan — submitting to a ‘higher authority’ — is the abuse of speech. The proper use of speech, from God’s perspective, is speech that glorifies God and enriches all who hear it (Matthew 22:37-40). When people claim authority that they do not have, innocents can be drawn into false teachings.
What has Paul been warning us about?
“[I]n later times* some will … follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons” (1 Timothy 4:1). The people who teach such things are “hypocritical liars” (v 2). Such people also spread “godless myths and old wives’ tales” (v 7).
Regardless of our status or authority in the Body of Christ, we all fall under Paul’s admonition to “set an example for the believers in speech” (v 12). Overseers and deacons are not the only ones who have influence over others.
The speech of husbands influences their wives. What mothers say has a strong influence on their children. Older children influence their younger siblings, and we all have influence on our peers.
When it comes to setting an example, no one is exempt.
When it comes to speech, God’s warnings and instructions apply to everyone.
Application: Be mindful of what comes out of the mouth (Matthew 7:3-5).
Food for Thought: Does God’s concern for how we express ourselves in speech apply to comments and conversations online? If so, how?
*Please note that we are now in those “later times.”
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Does God’s concern for how we express ourselves in speech apply to comments and conversations online? If so, how?
I would give that a resounding “yes.” I believe that God is concerned for how we interact with everyone no matter what the format or forum. I believe one has to be especially careful what they say in online conversations and comments due to the availability of the conversation to outside readers. Also, there is a “trap of anonymity” where people say things to others online that they would not say to someone in person. What we say online has the potential to be amplified quickly. So, if we speak love, it can be amplified. If we speak in a corrupted manner, it can be amplified. And the results of that go beyond just two individuals, but affect those simply reading the comments, or those sometimes injecting themselves into the conversation.
Proverbs 15:4 A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.
Proverbs 12:18 There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
Definitely! I think this is where the abuse may happen the most. I have seen the nastiest speech online.